1. Field of the Present Invention
The present invention relates generally to using detection technology to quickly pre-screen containers to identify containers that pose a risk to U.S. security. More particularly, the present invention relates to a hierarchical scanning system with long term/short term events, a profiler, and data analysis to find patterns related to groups of containers derived from non-intrusive and rapid inspection techniques for a shipping container monitoring system.
2. Description of Related Art
The Container Security Initiative (CSI) was launched in 2002 by the U.S. Bureau of Customs and Border Protection (CBP), an agency of the Department of Homeland Security. Its purpose was to increase security for container cargo shipped to the United States.
Containerized shipping is a critical component of international trade. About 90% of the world's trade is transported in cargo containers and almost half of incoming U.S. trade (by value) arrives by containers on-board ships. Nearly seven million cargo containers arrive on ships and are off-loaded at U.S. seaports each year.
As terrorist organizations have increasingly turned to destroying economic infrastructure to make an impact on nations, the vulnerability of international shipping has come under scrutiny. Under the CSI program, the screening of containers that pose a risk for terrorism is accomplished by teams of CBP officials deployed to work in concert with their host nation counterparts.
CSI consists of four core elements: using intelligence and automated information to identify and target containers that pose a risk for terrorism; pre-screening those containers that pose a risk at the port of departure before they arrive at U.S. ports; using detection technology to quickly pre-screen containers that pose a risk and using smarter, tamper-evident containers.
These four elements of the CSI recognize that container security may be compromised at many stages in the transit of a container. Ideally, the goal would be for each container to be pre-screened during each transitional event a container undergoes (i.e. from a ship onto a dock, from a dock into the storage yard, from the storage yard onto the bed of a truck, from the bed of a truck into another storage yard, and from the storage yard lifted onto another ship. Long term events, which are defined here as events lasting for several hours to several weeks, pose a greater likelihood that a tampering episodes may occur. At the same time, each short term event which usually involves a container transfer is an opportune time to scan containers. Thus, repeated screening of containers and verifying container condition and contents will ensure the highest possible confidence that a container is secure.